The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, and then THINK. The prizes are intended to celebrate the unusual, honor the imaginative — and spur people's interest in science, medicine, and technology.

Every September, in a gala ceremony in Harvard's Sanders Theatre, 1100 splendidly eccentric spectators watch the new winners step forward to accept their Prizes. These are physically handed out by genuinely bemused genuine Nobel Laureates. Thousands more, around the world, watch our live online broadcast.

PAST CEREMONIES: The 27th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize ceremony happened on Thursday, September 14, 2017. Videos of this and many other past ceremonies are archived on our YouTube channel and in the web pages devoted to each individual ceremony year.

"Last, but not least, there are the Ig Nobel awards. These come with little cash, but much cachet, and reward those research projects that 'first make people laugh, and then make them think'" — Nature

Who has won this prize? — Ten Ig Nobel prizes have been awarded each year since 1991. The winners page contains a complete list.

How do I find out about past years? — The Ig Archive page collects details, videos, and links from past ceremonies.

What about the Ig Informal Lectures? — At the ceremony itself, the new winners are given only 60 seconds to explain themselves. So... two days later, on Saturday afternoon, we give them considerably more time, plus a projector, so they can explain themselves and their research more fully, and discuss details with the audience.

Can I nominate someone for an Ig Nobel prize?— Of course! For details on how the nomination process works, please read here.

Has anyone ever turned down this award? — Almost always, we contact the chosen individuals (or teams) in advance, quietly, to offer the prize and give them the option to decline this great honor. If someone declines, we simply, privately withdraw the offer. Happily, nearly everyone who is offered an Ig Nobel Prize decides to accept, and also decides to come be part of the ceremony.

Are you ridiculing science? —No. We are honoring achievements that make people laugh, then think. Good achievements can also be odd, funny, and even absurd; So can bad achievements. A lot of good science gets attacked because of its absurdity. A lot of bad science gets revered despite its absurdity.

Are those real Nobel Laureates handing out the prizes?— Yes. At every Ig Nobel Prize ceremony, genuine Nobel Laureates physically hand out the prizes, and participate in the ceremony in other ways.

How can I get involved with next year's ceremony? — If you have five (5) or more tickets to the Ig Nobel ceremony, your group can choose to be an Official Audience Delegation and thus be officially celebrated during the event. To register as a Delegation, first obtain tickets from the Harvard Box Office. Then register with Grand Panjandrum of the Delegations Louise Sacco: (+1) 781-444-6757. The deadline for delegation registration is the Friday before each year's ceremony, but tickets usually sell out much sooner.

If you or your organization are comfortable publicly demonstrating both a love of science and a sense of humor, we are always happy to consider volunteers, sponsors, and supporters. For more information on this, please contact us at [email protected] or (+1) 617-491-4437.

AND you can read and respond to us via facebook, via twitter (and post with the #ignobel hashtag), our blog, and our YouTube channel.

Do you have a page collecting press coverage about the Igs? — The Press Clips page has links to some press reports about the Igs.

What if I would like to read about the Ig Nobels in book format? —There are several books about the Ig Nobel Prizes and several of these have been translated into other languages. Many of the winners have written books, and many of those winners are also the subjects of books. Many of them have given TED talks, too.

What if I'd like to see the ceremony live, but can't make it to Cambridge, Massachusetts? —You can watch the live broadcast each year here on the Improbable Research website, and you can watch videos of past ceremonies anytime. We present other events throughout the year and around the world that (we hope) make people laugh and then think. Find a list of our upcoming events (including the annual Ig Nobel EuroTour).